Reborn As Noble - Chapter 510

Chapter 510: Last Lines of Resistance ( 510 )
Javier stood up, stretching lightly as he slung his cloak back over his shoulder.

He looked toward the side where Buddy was just finishing the last of the grilled meat.

“Alright, Buddy! You full now?”

Cuquawked!

Buddy flapped his wings once, clearly energized and ready.

Javier turned to the merchant and gave a small wave.

“Thank you, owner!”

The beastkin man smiled, wiping sweat from his brow as he watched the oversized bird finally step away from the grill.

“You’re welcome, kids.

Come back next time… just tell your Pekko not to eat the shop next time!”

Javier chuckled, mounting Buddy smoothly.

“Alright.

Let’s move toward the border gate now.”

Cuquawked!

Buddy answered proudly and stomped forward with a heavy gait.

Once Javier arrived near the towering border gate, he saw the formation waiting for him.

Around fifty Beastkin soldiers stood nearby in organized lines, all in combat gear.

The same captain from last night stepped forward, standing tall with his hand over his chest.

“Sir Javier.”

“Yeah?” Javier replied, casually shifting in the saddle atop Buddy.

The captain nodded firmly.

“Beyond this point is the danger zone.

The no-man’s land between here and the fractured Dwarven front.

Be careful.”

Javier grinned, unfazed.

“Oh… don’t worry about that.”

All fifty soldiers suddenly straightened.

In one smooth motion, they brought their fists to their chests and bowed slightly.

Javier blinked.

“Hey… no need to salute like that.

I’m not your officer.”

The captain kept his hand to his chest.

“Still, it is our King’s direct order.

And an order is a must.”

He raised his head.

“We’ve stationed our best archers on the top of the wall.

They’ll provide overwatch and cover your path until you move out of range.”

Javier sighed lightly, scratching the side of his head.

“Huh? Jeez… thanks, but no need for that.”

The massive gate creaked as it slowly opened.

Heavy gears turned, chains rattled, and the thick reinforced doors began to part, revealing the road beyond.

Javier was already mounted on Buddy, one hand resting casually on the reins, the other on his thigh.

The Beastkin captain stepped forward one last time.

“Sir Javier…

Be careful.

And good luck.”

Javier looked over his shoulder, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Thank you.”

He turned back toward the open road.

The wind blew against his cloak, fluttering it gently behind him.

“Alright, Buddy!!

Let’s go!”

Cuquawked!!

Buddy squawked sharply and kicked off the ground, charging forward with powerful strides.

Dust rose behind them.

The soldiers watched in silence as the figure of Javier, cloak fluttering, vanished beyond the gate.

Meanwhile, inside the Dwarven Kingdom.

Chieftain Gumarak sat silently in front of the massive stone war table.

Dozens of small carved markers littered the map, each one representing a stronghold, a legion, or a defensive line.

He stared at the space where one marker had just been removed.

Another stronghold gone.

“Another down.”

The reports were clear.

Air raids from the Human Kingdom’s wyvern units, personally deployed under King Edmund’s command were relentless.

Fast.

Coordinated.

And terrifying in numbers.

The Dwarves’ elite Great Hawk Unit had tried to intercept the sky-borne assaults.

But five hundred wyverns…

And that wasn’t counting the second force advancing from the Halfling front below.

His commanders tried to split the hawks.

Tried to buy time.

But they were being pushed.

Hard.

Now, only the capital city remained untouched.

And three final strongholds each guarding a key region leading toward the mountain capital.

The last line.

Gumarak slowly reached out and placed his thick fingers on the three remaining stronghold markers.

Just three.

He exhaled heavily.

His once-mighty dwarven army…once standing over 800,000 strong,

bolstered even further by emergency civilian recruits…

Was now reduced to under 90,000.

Some dead.

Some captured.

Many missing.

And the rest- Clinging to a last line they weren’t sure they could hold.

“Looks like this is the end, huh?”

Gumarak said, forcing a smile as he looked at the last of his generals.

They stood in silence around the war table.

“Don’t say that, Chieftain!!!”

one of them snapped, his fist slamming the table.

“We’re still standing!

We’re not losing yet!”

Another nodded, gripping the hilt of his axe tightly.

“We’ve held mountains with fewer men than this. We’ve faced worse!”

But Gumarak only smiled again

weary, bitter, and quiet.

Then he spoke.

“It’s all my fault.”

The generals froze.

“Claiming this stupid Celestial…

this thing that never shuts up inside my head.”

His voice grew lower, eyes shadowed.

“And because of that…”

He looked around the room, meeting each of their eyes.

“My people suffer.

My troops die.

My kingdom…”

He reached out and lightly touched the carved figure representing his capital on the map.

“…is on the verge of collapse.”

Silence.

The air was heavy.

Even the bravest generals…

had no words for that.

Gumarak stared down at the war map, his fingers tapping the carved capital marker.

Then he asked quietly,

“No words or news about our messengers?”

One of the generals lowered his head.

“No, Chieftain.

None.”

Another added, “We’ve had no reports of anyone reaching Beastkin or Elven lands.

Not even a trace.

They’ve all vanished.”

Gumarak let out a long, tired breath.

Then smiled bitterly.

“So that’s it, then.

The Amazarak Kingdom has fallen…

pushed down by the Halfling advance.

No allies.

No path to send messages.”

He stood up straight, staring at the glowing pins on the map.

“We’re boxed in.”

“Human army from one side.

Halfling from the other.

And we’re the last wall standing.”

He moved his hand across the board slowly,

from the outer broken lines of their defenses,

through the path of lost strongholds,

toward the final three.

“Three last strongholds.

Then us.”

Behind the capital,

beyond the mountains..

was the last region untouched by war.

The place where his people lived.

The families.

The children.

The last civilian zone.

If the capital fell…

everything behind it would fall too.

And there would be nothing left.

“Generals.”

The room straightened instantly.

“Yes, Chieftain.”

Gumarak stood tall, his eyes sweeping across the last men who still followed him.

“Begin fallback preparations.

If the outer strongholds fall, all remaining troops are to pull back toward the capital zone.

This will be our final stand.”

The generals exchanged glances but nodded firmly.

“Clear the roads.

Every path to the capital must remain open.

No blockades, no traps.

If we have to fall back, it must be fast.”

“Understood.”

Gumarak continued, his voice steady but low.

“Send temporary food reserves to our last three strongholds.

Whatever we can spare.

Even if it’s not much.”

One general muttered,

“Rations are already stretched.”

“I know.

But if they hold, they buy us time.

And if they fall, at least they won’t die hungry.”

Silence.

Then he gave the last command.

“If the enemy pushes all the way,

make sure the capital has enough power to hold.

We delay them as long as we can.”

No one spoke.

But all of them bowed their heads-not in sorrow,

but in silent vow.

They would carry out the command to the end.

( End Of Chapter )